State report was favorable to Lawrence.
By: Lea Kahn
The Lawrence Township School District passed the state Department of Education’s monitoring process "with flying colors," Schools Superintendent Max Riley told the school board Monday night.
The school board, pleased with the state monitoring team’s findings, accepted the monitoring report clearing the way for it to be placed on the state Board of Education’s agenda next month. The report is available for public review at the school board office at 2565 Princeton Pike. The office is open weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
School districts are monitored by the DOE every seven years to ensure that they comply with state regulations in nine areas, said Bruce McGraw, assistant superintendent for curriculum. This means the district’s next review would be held in 2010, he said.
"We are happy (with the results)," Dr. McGraw said. "This is the third time that we have been through the monitoring process. We are delighted that the monitoring team found everything to be in order."
Lawrence is categorized as a Group 1 district, which means the monitoring team spends only a couple of days in the district, Dr. McGraw said. The team visited Lawrence Dec. 3 and 4. School districts that are not in Group 1 are subjected to a lengthier visit by the monitoring team, he said.
Group 1 means students have met minimum performance standards, based on the results of state-administered standardized tests in grades 4, 8 and 11, Dr. McGraw said. To qualify as a Group 1 district, at least 75 percent of the students qualified as proficient or advanced proficient on the tests.
To pass the monitoring test, school districts must show that they meet certain standards, he said. The state monitoring team reviews district records to ensure that the district complies with the core curriculum content standards that it teaches art, music, physical education and history, for example. The high school graduation requirements must comply with state standards.
The team reviews records to determine whether the district offers guidance counseling and education in the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse, Dr. McGraw said. It examines attendance records, to ensure that at least 90 percent of the students attend class daily. The high school dropout rate should not exceed 10 percent of enrollment.
Also, the monitoring team reviews personnel records, Dr. McGraw said. During the team’s two-day visit to Lawrence, it conducted a random review of the personnel files to find out whether teachers who have tenure had been given an annual observation and evaluation. Nontenured teachers are observed three times during the school year and given a final, year-end evaluation.
The monitoring team also toured the district’s seven school buildings to make sure the buildings met 79 items on the checklist, Dr. McGraw said. Those items range from providing the team with annual inspection reports from the township fire inspector and township health inspector, to making sure that gutters and downspouts are in good condition and the exterior walls are in good shape.
And the monitoring team examines district records to find out whether the school board has discussed the School Ethics Act and the Code of Ethics for School Board members at a public meeting once a year. Each school board member must sign a receipt, indicating he or she has read the Code of Ethics.

